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Tuesday August 29, 2006 

INSIDE LA TV

LET PEREIRA BE MADE UP IN SILENCE

Apparently the same kind of silence that KTLA anchor Michaela Pereira has employed regarding that ten thousand dollars worth of furniture that ended up in her house is something she prefers when make-up is being applied to her.

According to an ear witness, Pereira told the make-up lady just to do her job and not talk to her.    

In another instance, Pereira demanded that the make-up lady come to the set to take care of her, even though, I'm told, the make-up person was working on a guest.  Nevertheless, Pereira needed her NOW.

In the second instance, obviously I don't know how serious of a make-up problem Pereira was facing. However, I have checked with several other local female anchors, and all of them tell me that they keep make-up handy to do any touch-ups themselves.  As one put it "it's pretty common for anchors to touch themselves up." Another writes "I almost always do it myself."  Another says "As an anchor, you can do whatever you prefer... I touch up myself sometimes. Then there are other times I'll call for our makeup gal if I need more than to powder a shine on my nose."

So in fairness, maybe Pereira was having a make-up emergency. But since the make-up lady was busy with a guest, you wonder if Pereira couldn't have handled it herself.  And that way, she wouldn't have to risk having the make-up lady talking to her.

I emailed Pereira for comment, also offering an opportunity to talk about the furniture.  She did not respond. She never does.

Nischelle Turner and Elizabeth Espinosa are no longer co-anchoring with Robb Weller on the KTTV Sunday Morning show.  There are those at KTTV who believe it is because the two did not gel well on the air, which some believe reflected an off-air coolness between the two. As one insider put it, the two were are very nice separately "but when combined could be so toxic."

I emailed Turner about all of this. She answered:

Hi Ron....

Thanks for the chance to comment, but sorry I don't have a juicier
answer for you.  That's not the reason given to me for the change to the
Sunday show, but you know how people in newsrooms talk so let the games
begin.  I didn't know so many people watched to analyze how Elizabeth and
myself interact...maybe they should've gotten neilsen boxes and our
ratings would've been better.
HA!

Have a good one,

Nischelle Turner

My thanks for Turner for responding to the issue. Espinosa did not answer my email.

NOT MUCH NEW WITH THE FREELANCERS

I had noticed more freelancers working last week on KCBS/KCAL.  I checked with an insider at Columbia Square, and I'm told those shifts were vacation fill-in. And I'm also told that a few freelance writers have been called in to help. But this insider says that while management would like to start bringing people back in next month, "there is no end in sight."

My personal guess, and it is merely a guess, is that in October, with the November ratings right around the corner, they'll bring back a lot of freelance reporter shifts, and many writers too.   We'll see. But no telling what will await these folks in December.

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